The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) has accused Inspector General Douglas Kanja of blocking access to police payroll records, hampering efforts to audit recruitment and ensure transparency within the force.

Appearing before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday, NPSC Chief Executive Peter Leley said the commission had repeatedly been denied access to crucial data needed to verify compliance with its staffing decisions.

“We are static in accessing the payroll for purposes of auditing,” Leley told lawmakers. “We need to confirm whether the decisions of the commission have been followed, and right now, we cannot.”

The remarks come amid rising concerns over possible irregularities in police recruitment, including allegations of ethnic favouritism and the existence of a so-called “shadow” payroll.

A Chilly Relationship

Leley described the commission’s relationship with the police command as “very frosty,” even following the recent shake-up in police leadership.

“There have been changes in leadership — a new Inspector General, Deputy Inspector General, and Secretary of Administration — but the resistance to oversight has remained,” he said.

Inspector General Kanja, who was appointed in late 2024, has faced criticism from civil society and human rights groups for allegedly resisting external scrutiny, particularly from oversight bodies.

Oversight in the Dark

The commission’s concerns echo similar frustrations voiced by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). The watchdog has also accused the police of frustrating its investigations, especially in cases involving the use of force during recent anti-government protests.

In a recent statement, IPOA CEO Elma Halake warned that delays in accessing records and securing cooperation from police leadership were compromising justice for victims of police misconduct.

“It becomes difficult to deliver accountability when institutions mandated to ensure it are denied access,” Halake said.

Why Payroll Access Matters

At the heart of the standoff is the commission’s attempt to audit the police payroll to check whether hires and deployments align with its decisions — a core part of its constitutional oversight role.

Without access to payroll data, the NPSC says it cannot rule out the possibility of unauthorised hires, duplicated payments, or unlawful appointments. These concerns are particularly sensitive in Kenya, where the security sector has long battled claims of patronage and ethnic bias.

“If the commission is not allowed to verify the implementation and status of its resolutions, then it makes no sense,” Leley told MPs.

Silence from the Police Side

As of Wednesday evening, IG Kanja had not responded publicly to the accusations. The Office of the Inspector General did not issue a statement, and attempts by this publication to seek comment from police headquarters went unanswered.

The standoff raises broader questions about transparency and institutional independence, particularly as Kenya grapples with growing public frustration over security force conduct and governance failures.

For now, the commission says it will continue to press for access, even as trust between the country’s top policing bodies remains fragile.